Violator in California carpool lane caught trying to pass mannequin off as passenger
![Violator in California carpool lane caught trying to pass mannequin off as passenger Violator in California carpool lane caught trying to pass mannequin off as passenger](https://i3.wp.com/nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/80790885.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024&w=1024&resize=1024,682&ssl=1)
Does he look like some kind of model to you?
A California driver learned his lesson the hard way when police stopped him in the carpool lane – only to discover his “passenger” was a realistic-looking mannequin.
“So people ask, ‘If I have a mannequin in the passenger seat, does that count as a second occupant in the vehicle?’ » I try to use the carpool lane without anyone else in the car! » the California Highway Patrol office in Santa Fe Springs wrote on Instagram about the incident.
![The lifelike model even had a pair of sunglasses.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/folks-asking-i-mannequin-passenger-80790721.jpg?w=819)
The post included a snapshot of the model, which featured a hyper-realistic rubber mask with a goatee and sunglasses, as well as a makeshift sweatshirt torso.
“We have to give them, the looks are next level model but at the end of the day… plastic is plastic,” the agency said.
“Officer Kaplan conducted a police stop on this vehicle for crossing double solid lines and realized that the driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle with his plastic friend. The goatee was pointy…just a little too pointy,” they added.
![A cop issuing a citation to a driver.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/la-habra-police-officer-jason-80790734.jpg?w=1024)
The driver was issued a citation for a rideshare violation, the post states.
“Remember to plan ahead, know your travel route and the general challenges of your journey to avoid being rushed or tempted to push your luck,” the CHP warned.
New York Post